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LaToya Cantrell

Mayor of New Orleans, LA

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LaToya Cantrell has dedicated her life to community service and fighting tirelessly for justice, starting as a little girl, when her grandmother would bring her to local neighborhood meetings. By the age of 13, she was serving as secretary for her local chamber of commerce.

She arrived in New Orleans in 1990 to attend Xavier University and her soul found its home in the city. After graduation, she and her husband Jason and bought a home in the Broadmoor neighborhood, and quickly got involved in the local community.

As the President of the Broadmoor Improvement Association, LaToya crafted their inclusive consensus building decisionmaking model, building partnerships inside and outside the community to create and implement a redevelopment plan with unprecedented results, engaging $50 million in funds and 13,000 volunteers to produce:
-A new library/community center, unique in the city
-Rebuilt homes at a pace that led the city’s recovery
-A community health center
-A renovated public school

She was still serving as President of the BIA in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit and the levees failed. Broadmoor was devastated and at risk of being demolished. Under her leadership, the BIA rallied the community through hundreds of meetings and actions, ushered in the next phase of the neighborhoods redevelopment, and Broadmoor is now considered an international model for disaster recovery.

In 2012, LaToya Cantrell was elected to the New Orleans City Council. There, she built an incredible track record of successful advocacy and effective progressive legislating, with notable highlights such as:
-Stopped the ICE hold practice for immigrants
-Spearheaded the “Smoke-Free” ordinance, protecting those in the service industry and musicians from secondhand smoke
-Passed the “Welcoming Cities” resolution, aiding marginalized residents
-Worked with developers and advocates to produce affordable housing
-Consistently voted for a smaller jail and for meaningful criminal justice reform

As a Black woman raised by a hardworking single mother, she knows what struggling to make ends meet feels like when the deck is stacked against you. That’s why she’s built a uniquely people-powered campaign, and why as Mayor she’s committed to fighting societal inequality and fostering better quality of life for all. She’s running to push for a $15 minimum wage, to expand affordable housing, to create job training and education opportunities, and to make New Orleans a safer and more equitable place for all.